Current enterprise application search solutions may take long periods of time to complete a search for valid time dependent data. For example, when searching for data within a traditional relational database, an enterprise application search engine may have to search through numerous records before locating the requested time dependent data. In addition, several steps may need to be performed to determine whether the time dependent data is valid.
For example, a user may wish to search for valid data within an enterprise management system. Particularly, the user may require valid time dependent data about an object. Time dependent data may include information about an employee such as telephone number, address or employment contracts. Typically, time dependent data has a time period in which the data is valid. In conventional systems, a search must be done throughout a database for the requested time dependent data. In addition, the system must verify that the time dependent data found within the database is valid. This may consume large amounts of time and system resources.
Even after a search has been performed, current enterprise application search solutions may fail to identify all relevant valid time dependent data. For example, if time dependent data was valid in the past or will become valid in the future, the valid time dependent data may not appear in search results at a current search time. Therefore, a solution is needed to provide all valid time dependent data within search results regardless of the expiration or beginning validity dates.
In a computing environment, data may be stored in objects. Each object may contain information associated with a particular agreement, employee, cost center or other information that may be used within the computing environment. A user of the system may wish to locate time dependent data associated with an object. Time dependent information may include the begin and end date for an employment contract, for example. Time dependent information has a defined period for which the data is valid. For example, if an employee begins working on Date A and ends working on Date B, the valid period of employment for that employee is the date range of Date A-Date B. The relationships between data may also be time dependent. For example, an employee may be related to work center A for a first time period and may be related to work center B for a second time period. Conventionally, significant system resources are required to locate an object and identify the valid time dependent data for that object. Further, objects with validity dates that do not overlap the particular time period being searched may be left out of the search results. Therefore, an improved method of searching for valid time dependent data within an enterprise application is needed.